Flying Scotsman
Flying Scotsman [7] Pegler had a contract permitting him to run his locomotive on BR until 1972, but following overhaul in the winter of 1968–69 it went on a promotional tour to the USA, for which it was fitted with cowcatcher, bell, buckeye couplings, American-style whistle,[8] air brakes and high-intensity headlamp. The trip was initially a success, but when Pegler's backers withdrew their support he began to lose money and was finally bankrupted in 1972. Fears then arose for the engine's future, the speculation being that it could take up permanent residence in America or even be cut up. After Alan Bloom made a personal phone call to him in January 1973, William McAlpine stepped in and bought the locomotive for £25,000 direct from the finance company in San Francisco docks. After its return to the UK via the Panama Canal in February 1973, McAlpine paid for the locomotive's restoration at Derby Works. Trial runs took place on the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway in summer 1973, after which it was transferred to Steamtown (Carnforth), from where it steamed on various tours.[9] In October 1988 the locomotive arrived in Australia[11] to take part in that country's bicentenary celebrations and during the course of the next year it travelled more than 45,000 kilometres (28,000 mi) over Australian rails, including a transcontinental run from Sydney to Perth. It was a central attraction in the Aus Steam '88 festival, double-heading with NSWGR locomotive 3801, and running alongside Victorian Railways R class locomotives along the 300 km (190 mi)-long parallel Victorian broad gauge|broad and standard gauge tracks of the North East railway line, Victoria. The Flying Scotsman stayed in Victoria for two months before heading back to New South Wales. On 8 August 1989 Flying Scotsman set another record, travelling 442 miles (711 km) from Parkes to Broken Hill non-stop, the longest such run by a steam locomotive ever recorded.[12] A plaque on the engine records the event. Returned to the UK, by 1995 it was in pieces at Southall Railway Centre in West London, owned by a consortium that included McAlpine as well as music guru and well-known railway enthusiast Pete Waterman. Facing an uncertain future owing to the cost of restoration and refurbishment necessary to meet the stringent engineering standards required for main line operation, salvation came in 1996 when Dr Tony Marchington, already well known in the vintage movement, bought the locomotive, and had it restored over three years to running condition at a cost of £1 million,[13] a restoration which is still recognised as the most extensive in the locomotive's history. Marchington's time with the Flying Scotsman was documented in on documentary, the Channel 4 programme A Steamy Affair: The Story of Flying Scotsman.[14] With Flying Scotsman's regular use both on the VSOE Pullman and with other events on the main line, in 2002, Marchington proposed a business plan, which included the construction of a "Flying Scotsman Village" in Edinburgh, to create revenue from associated branding. After floating on OFEX as Flying Scotsman plc in the same year,[14] in 2003 Edinburgh City Council turned down the village plans, and in September 2003 Marchington was declared bankrupt.[15] At the company's AGM in October 2003, CEO Peter Butler announced losses of £474,619, and with a £1.5 million overdraft at Barclays Bank, stated that the company only had enough cash to trade until April 2004. The company's shares were suspended from OFEX on 3 November 2003 after it had failed to declare interim results.[15] With the locomotive effectively placed up for sale, after a high-profile national campaign it was bought in April 2004 by the National Railway Museum in York,[16] and it is now part of the National Collection. After 12 months of interim running repairs, it ran for a while to raise funds for its forthcoming 10-year major boiler recertification. In January 2006, Flying Scotsman entered the Museum's workshops for a major overhaul to return it to Gresley's original specification and in order to renew its boiler certificate; originally planned to be completed by mid 2010 if sufficient funds were raised,[17][18][19] but late discovery of additional problems meant it would not be completed until late spring 2012.[20][21][22] The bay in which the locomotive was being refurbished was on view to visitors to the NRM but the engine was rapidly dismantled to such an extent that the running plate was the only component recognisable to the casual observer. Early in 2009 it emerged that the overhaul would see the loco reunited with the last remaining genuine A3 boiler (acquired at the same time as the locomotive as a spare). The A4 boiler that the loco had used since the early 1980s was sold to Jeremy Hosking for potential use on his locomotive, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A4_4464_Bittern LNER Class A4 4464 Bittern].[23] Debate over restoration Choice of livery is an emotive subject amongst some of those involved in the preservation of historic rolling stock, and Flying Scotsman has attracted more than its fair share[citation needed] as a result of 40 years continuous service, during which the locomotive underwent several changes to its livery. Alan Pegler's preferred option was evidently to return the locomotive as far as possible to the general appearance and distinctive colour it carried at the height of its fame in the 1930s. A later option was to re-install the double Kylchap chimney and German smoke deflectors that it carried at the end of its career in the 1960s, which encouraged more complete combustion, a factor in dealing with smoke pollution and fires caused by spark throwing. More recently, until its current overhaul it was running in a hybrid form, retaining the modernised exhaust arrangements while carrying the LNER 'Apple Green' livery of the 1930s. Some believe that the more famous LNER colour scheme should remain, while others take the view that, to be authentic, only BR livery should be used when the loco is carrying these later additions. The subject is further complicated by the fact that, while in BR livery, the locomotive never ran with its corridor tender. The National Railway Museum (NRM) announced on 15 February 2011, that Flying Scotsman will be painted in LNER Wartime Black livery when it undergoes its steam tests and commissioning runs. The letters 'NE' appear on the sides of the tender, along with the number '103' on one side of the cab and '502' on the other – the numbers it was given under the LNER's renumbering system. Flying Scotsman will be repainted in its familiar-look Apple Green livery in the summer, but remained in black for the NRM's Flying Scotsman Preview Weekend which took place on 28–30 May 2011. Furthermore, during the National Railway Museum's 'railfest' event on 2–10 June 2012, Flying Scotsman was in attendance, being kept in front of Mallard in a siding, still in its Wartime Black livery.[24] Personality At first, Scott was thought to be rude and spiteful, but he was really grieved and is truly a kind-hearted, but vain engine. Basis Scott is based on the real No. 4472'' Flying Scotsman'', a LNER Gresley A3 Pacific. This locomotive is one of the most famous in the world as a result of her record-breaking run in 1923 where she became the first to have officially gone 100mph (though GWR 3700 Class City of Truro is sometimes thought to have broken the record in 1904). Livery From 1923 to 1939, Scott was painted in LNER apple green livery, and was then painted into wartime black until the end of the war. From 1950 to 1959, he was painted in BR Express Passenger blue, and then in 1959, he was repainted into BR brunswick green. Then in the 1960s he was fitted with German Style Smoke Deflectors. In real life he is was then painted in Apple Green holding his smoke deflectors. Then in 2011 she was repainted into LNER Wartime Black livery; smoke deflectors removed an his number was the changed fromm 4472 to 103. Appearances Episodes *A Great Problem Goes West! (cameo; early 1960's condition) *Hawk, Aye! (cameo; early 1960's condition; late 1960's condition) *Nigel, Herbert and the Cows (cameo, late 1960's condition) *Hand of the Fair Maid! (does not speak; appears in late 1960's condition) *Goodbye, Stephen the Green Engine! (cameo; early and late 1960's condition) *Christmas, 1952 (cameo; late 1960's condition) *Scott and the Herring Gull *Birds of a Feather *The Legacy of Gadwall *Hawk Eyed! (cameo; late 1960's condition) *Hawk the Hunter *Suburban Tank (mentioned) *Silent Night *Day of the Deltic (mentioned) *Great Scott! *The Last Run (cameo) Books *Tale of the Unnamed Engine (does not speak) * He is also set to appear in Gresley's Goliaths (Book 3), estimated for a 2013 release. Trivia *Scott shares almost the same background with his real life counterpart. *Scott's face was Sir Ralph's original face and a generic background character face. *On the original BRWS site, it was stated that the name "Scott" originated from a joke when one member of the production team had never heard of Flying Scotsman. This was expanded upon in the series when Allen and Tavish had never heard of the famous engine before due to the fact that in post-war Britain, Scott was just one of many main line engines, and the former two were built long after the famous run. *Despite Stephen carried the most liveries in the British Railway Stories in real life Scott has the most liveries. *In real life Flying Scotsman is Simon A.C. Martin's first steam engine to see in person (he was barely 6 years old). From the Llangollen Railway in 1994. Gallery The Legacy of Gadwall 4.jpg|Scott with Herring Gull and Gadwall Scott and the Herring Gull4.jpg Scott and the Herring Gull1.jpg Birds of a Feather2.jpg|Scott at Leeds Central Birds of a Feather4.jpg|Scott begins his outburst The Legacy of Gadwall 3.jpg|Scott accuses Sir Ralph Great Scott1.jpg|Scott in BR brunswick green with Herbert Sir Ralph and Scott Nameboards.jpg|Sir Ralph and Scott's nameboards 800px-Flying Scotsman in Doncaster.jpg|Real-life locomotive 640px-FlyingScotsman2011.jpg|Scott in Wartime Black|link=Flying Scotsman attention!.jpg|Scott being Attended by his driver Category:Steam Locomotives Category:Tender Engines Category:Copley Hill Visitors Category:Gresley Designs Category:Preserved Engines Category:Eastern Region Category:4-6-2 Category:Pages with broken file links Category:Locomotives